When fires occur in multistory buildings, occupants above the ground floor are often faced with the dilemma of jumping from a great height and perishing thereby or staying put and perishing by fire or suffocation. In order to increase the chances of survival of persons in such circumstances, various types of manually deployable escape devices have been developed. Such devices usually take the form of rolled or coiled flexible ladders or ropes.
The flexible ladder escape devices are usually formed of rope or metal chain sides and rigid steps. The flexible ladders are kept rolled or packed and, when their use is required, attached to a substantial structure and unfurled. Flexible ladders have the advantage that they are usually easier to descend by those unskilled and unathletic. However, flexible ladders are bulkier and heavier per unit of length such that there is a limitation to the usuable length of such ladders which can be lifted and thrown out a window by an average person. Some types of flexible ladders are intended for fixed attachment to an external surface of a building wall near a window in a packed condition, with deployment occurring when needed. However, such an arrangement is exposed to weather and may be deteriorated thereby. Additionally, a situation might occur in which a fire blocks the occupants' access to such a fixed attachment location.
Rope type escape devices usually include an elongated rope with knots, large beads, or other protuberances spaced therealong. Some rope devices include an attachment device such as a hook at one end. Protuberances along the rope are not favored by those experienced in rope climbing. However, because ropes are more difficult to use by the unskilled, protuberances are usually included to facilitate maintenance of a grip by such persons. Rope type escape devices are generally lighter per unit of length and more compact than ladder type devices. For this reason, rope devices can usually be longer than ladder type devices. However, there is a practical limit to the length of rope type escape devices. Persons unpracticed at rope climbing and descending usually become fatigued quickly even when coordinating their hands and feet for gripping. Fear of a fire and heights combined with possible smoke inhalation and heat stress are factors which can quicken the onset of fatigue and loss of gripping strength.
Additional rope type escape devices are known including those used in rappelling and those employing rope brakes and harnesses such as are used by professional rescuers and by some types of workers such as window washers of high rise buildings. Such devices require training and agility for safe and effective use and are generally not appropriate for use by those untrained.
One common problem with many such devices is a tendency to become entangled during deployment. This is particularly a problem if the escape device is arrayed within a container. When the container is dropped from an upper floor, if it should strike a structure during descent, there is the possibility of the rope or other escape device being jarred loose within the container with ensuing entanglement. Other entanglement hazards include bouncing of the container such that portions of the rope which have already been payed out of the container become self-entangled or tangled with building structure. Thus, orderly and reliable payout of such escape devices is a continuing problem which has not been solved in the prior art in a compact and economical escape device.